challenge "Fasting February" - National Fasting Month February Challenge!

[Bob]

Today is February 1st and marks the first day of "National Fasting February" - and yes, this is a thing. Google it!

For this months challenge, we are going to support each other in our efforts to practice various forms of fasting throughout the month. The type of fasting you wish to do is entirely up to you. We are going to encourage INTERMITTENT FASTING, that is to put it simply, skipping a meal so that you are only eating 2 meals a day instead of the traditional 3 meals a day. The goal is to enjoy these meals within an 8 hour "feasting window" and then no food in the remaining 16 hours "fasting window" (in which 8 of those hours you should be sleeping).

An example is waking up at 7am, but waiting until 11am-noon for your first meal, and then having dinner at 6-7pm for your 2nd meal. Other people prefer to eat a breakfast, then a mid-day lunch, and skip dinner. 

If you want to throw in a 24, 48, or 72 hour fast just to show off by all mean do so, lol. 

Just like before, we encourage you to check in daily, and share what you have eaten, perhaps a weigh-in if you're willing, and enjoy in some small talk. Every Reply in this topic will count as an entry for this month's prize drawing. Attending Monday night zoom also counts as a bonus entry. Back-to-back posts count as 1 entry as a counter to spamming. 

Let's keep our resolutions going strong!

[Geezy]

Been outta pocket for a few days so just coming across this. 
Cool thread. 
So today is starting out early. I was up by 0100 hrs to put a lamb quarter on the smoker. 
I’ve calculated this lamb to take 13 hours to get to fall apart tender doneness so it should be ready about 1400 hrs. 
My last meal was yesterday around 1230 hrs so by the time I eat today it will have been about 25 hours of fasting. 
When that lamb is ready you can bet I’m going to be stuffing myself. 

[Scott F.]

I have done a couple fasts since going carnivore. Just a handful of months ago I would have said it would be impossible for me to go anywhere near what would be considered a fast without eating. I was more in tune with being an intermittent eater than intermittent fasting. 

Soon after getting started, I went with the 'just eat when I was hungry' approach and that quickly turned into about one meal a day. The first time I seen OMAD I had to look it up because I didn't know OMAD was a thing. For me, it sort of happened naturally. Turns out OMAD, is intermittent fasting but without a pre-designated window, nor eating by the clock.

Fast forward and there were times when I went a little longer than 24 hours just waiting to be hungry again. I then decided to do a 48 hour fast just to see how I felt and if I could do it. I ate on Friday night at work about 7-8PM. I pulled the 12-hour shift, came home, took care of the animals and went to bed as normal. I didn't eat Saturday night at work and then did my normal 'chores after night shift' without any energy or hunger issues. My plan was to eat Sunday night.

I woke up Sunday afternoon fully expecting to be hungry as all get it out. I was not. I made a plate because I full expecting some sort of crash after 48 hours. I made it all night and on Monday morning I came home feeling good and completed my normal chores before napping. I woke up Monday afternoon and still felt fine, not hungry nor anxious, nor jittery from not eating. I made the drive to work.

I stepped out of the truck around 6PM and I was around 71 hours or so. It was almost as immediate as my feet hit the parking lot. I felt my energy level drop to below nothing, to the point, the gate to the plant looked like it was a hundred miles away instead of a hundred feet. The two flights of stairs were the hardest two flights I had ever experienced. I didn't feel dizzy or light-headed or like I was going to fall just extremely weak and felt the muscle burn in every step. At the very same time the hunger hit. It was the first time since starting carnivore I was actually hungry and that hunger level was ten times deeper than any hunger I had ever felt. 

I was empty and drained. I ate before shift change, and I felt full before I finished the plate. Half-way thru the plate I felt full. Soon afterwards the energy level returned to normal. The energy level felt like if I had my phone on charge. I got a 'bar' every 30 minutes or so and after a couple hours I was fully charged.

I lost some weight during the 72 hours. I don't think the number was as high as I expected if just looking out at 'not eating for 72 hours' but I did cinch my work belt up a couple times. I'm not sure I felt any better afterwards other than maybe the accomplishment. Maybe the biggest difference is that it changed the amounts I ate at OMAD. Whatever made me full before the fast after 24 hours/OMAD was nearly twice as much as afterwards. And the weight from that point off just shed off, almost without effort. 

For me, I am sure there were the benefits of autophagy, getting deeper into ketosis, running on ketones, using fat for energy and being more fat adaptive and maybe even some long term benefits I don't know about, but, mostly it adjusted what actually need to eat vs. what I thought I should be eating. Maybe even eliminating my 'habitual eating around times and amounts'. 

Sorry for the length. Got to babbling.

Scott

[Joanna]

It’s only 8 am and I’m already hungry. Going to try and hold out until 11. Thanks for the challenge, Bob. I’ve been wanting to experiment more with fasting and this is the support I need.

[Scott F.]

I would say go in increments.

My increments were the way I stumbled into carnivore and the fact I used drink mixers the first few months. Turns out those were increments and steps into being able to fast without hunger. 

I would have some snacks readily available, like bacon or jerky, etc., just a little something to get you thru. 

Go as far as you can, small snack, and get to the next meal you need. In time stretch it to where you feel you need. 

Carnivore is more about elimination not as much as what you eat. The amounts you eat and when you eat can be totally different between you and another. I'd work on the elimination part and then if/when your hunger subsides for periods of time, intermittent happens just by circumstance.

Best of luck. Keep plugging away. Small steps make big gains.

Scott

 

[Joanna]

11:15 am: bacon wrapped meatballs

5:15 pm: boneless leg of lamb and a boiled egg

A very delicious day. Totally satisfied.

[Scott F.]

Yep. Small steps equal big gains. 

Your health is more of a marathon than a sprint.

As you adjust the times in between will get further and further apart.

Nice work. Best of luck.

Scott

[Bob]

It's been a while since I've practiced any fasting. I've done a few 24 hour fasts, and my longest was 40 hours. 

But my goal for February is to reintroduce intermittent fasting. Tea keeps me satiated. I bought a new tumbler and plan to sip hot tea from the time I wake up until lunch time at work. 

[Carburetor]

My schedule goes to OMAD very naturally. It was mostly like that all January.  Now,last week I had a 48 hour fast easily and enjoyed it. I also lost a couple of pounds of body fat that week so I figured I might skip all mondays like that.

I was able to button my test jeans today,two weeks ago they were 2-3" tight. A fast seems to kick my metabolism back on track.

 

While fasting,I like to plan for tomorrow's dinner. Found some entrecote', it's marinating now.